A corpora



P. M. BENEDICT.

POLE STEP.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 3. 1916.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

W1 TNESSES pisrrnn smarts PATENT orator PAUL M. BENEDICT, OF NEW HAVEN,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARNES &

KOBERT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILLDALE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TIONOF CONNECTICUT.

POLE-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25,1919.

Application filed April 3, 1916. Serial No. 88,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL M. BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States,and resident of the city and county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pole-Steps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to pole steps such as used on, telegraph poles,and more particularly to that type of .pole step'which is composed of ametal attaching plate adapted to be permanently secured to the pole anda metal footrestor step proper adapted to be attached to the plate whenthe lineman desires to climb the pole, and to be removed from the plateafter he is through with his work, so that the step cannot be used byunauthorized persons.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide improved meansfor securing the footrest or step to the attaching this character owingplate or bracket so that the footrest or plate is prevented. fromturning about its longitudinal axis. Heretofore considerable difficultyhas been encountered with devices of to the fact that the step orfootrest will turn in the attaching plate, underwhich conditions itaffords a very precarious footing, but by my improvements thisdisadvantage is overcome, for the construction is such that a heavy manmay obtain a reliable footing on a pole step which is comparativelylight and inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pole step in which thesupporting plate is soformed as to prevent the average person fromobtaining a foothold thereon when the step or footrest is removed.

The invention also has in view the general improvement of devices of theclass mentioned.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pole step embodying my improvements,showing a portion of the pole in sect1on;.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the pole step; Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryrear elevation of the step;

Fig. 4: is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3; and r Fig. 6 is a section online 66 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, my improved pole step comprises two main parts,first, a supporting plate 6 adapted to be secured to the pole, andsecond, a footrest or step portion 7 which is adapted to be detachablyconnected with the plate 6. The plate 6 is preferably made of pressedsteel, and provided at the upper-and lower ends with perforations,through which suitable screws 8 are passed for securing the plate to thepole. The plate 6 is elongated and arranged vertically on the pole, theupper and lower extremities beingfiat against the pole, and theintermediate portion of theplate being bowed or bulged outwardly, asshown at 6*, in order to provide a space 6 between the part 6 and theopposing face of the pole, as shown in Fig. 1. The outwardly bulged orbent portion 6 is joined with the fiat ends 6 of the plate by inclinedportions 6 which are arranged at a considerable angle to the horizontal.In this manner, the portion 6 which is uppermost presents a surfacewhich slants downwardly at such an angle that it will not afiord afoothold. Thus, the attaching plate by itself does not afford a footingfor an unauthorized person who attempts to climb the pole.

The footrest or step proper 7 is preferably made of pressed steel. Inthe form shown, it comprises a plate 9 which is longitudinallycorrugated in order to reinforce the same. At the inner end of theplate, the same is provided with a T-shaped head 10 (Fig. 6) which isadapted to be secured in a T-shaped opening or slot 11 in theintermediate portion of the supporting plate. The slot or opening 11iswider at the top than at the bottom so that the T-shaped head 10 maybe inserted into the top portion of the slot, after which, as the headis caused to descend in the slot, shoulders 12 at the side edges of thelower portion of the slot engage notches 18 at the neck portion of theshaped head. At the same time, an abutment member 14, which depends fromthe plate 9, engages its edge portion 14 with the front face of theportion 6 below the the pole 9 by welding, the side edges 'ofth'eabutment being welded to the, respectlve side 14. is of U-shape and thesupporting plate is 1 'of the step in. the slot. p boss or projection 15will be formed by CllS- provided with a-proj eetion 15 extendingoutward-from the front face thereof at a point below the slot ll, andentering and engaging the lower part of the .U-shaped member 14: in sucha manner as to prevent the turning By preference, the

' placing aportion ofthe metal of: the supporting plate in a forwarddirection. It will be noted" from Fig. 4, that the boss or projection15' corresponds in contour to a ,por tion of the U-shaped member 14:,and that L the latter conformsrather closely tothe boss or projection.Asthe member 1a catches un der' the lower edge of the boss, the step iseffectively prevented from tipping laterally "toany appreciable extent.The greater the weight imposed on'the step, thetighter will be'theengagement of the abutment let with theboss or projection 15, andtherefore the greater will be the resistance -to turning movement. ThusI overcome afdefect which has given considerable trouble 1n the case ofother pole steps with which I am familiar.

In the particular form shown, the abutment 14.- is applied to the undersurface of edges of the plate. The supporting plate is in thenature of astrap, arranged vertically,

.and'having its ends formed to engage a: pole,

or the like, the intermediate portion of the strap being offset ina'forward direct1on:relatively to the pole or other support,.-so as toleave a space between the latter and the intermediate part of the strap.The slotZin the strapiorplate is rovided in this intermediate portionsot at the head of the step proper may be received in the space betweenthe pole and strap. The means for-prevent- :ing turning movement of, thestep proper is, however, arranged at the front of the strap, and-iscomposed of a part 15, or the like, at the front surface of the strap,slightly below the step proper, arranged to engage the dependingabutment on the step proper, which is usually in the form of a any handon the loop,-"as described, so that it engages the part of projection15on opposite sides of the member detachably secured to a support.

Various changes in the-details of the-construction may be.adopted-without departing from the scope of the invention asdefined inthe claims. p

What I claim is 1. In adevice such asdescribed', the com-. bination ofastraplike supporting member having an outwardly bulged or off-setinter-- mediate portion, said intermediate portion having a slotextending therethrou'gh, a footrest member having a head extendingthrough said slotand interlocked with said. straplike member,a'projection on the front face of said straplike member, andas'loopshaped part on said footrest member engaging said projectiontoprevent turning move-1 mentof the footiest member andpositively preventthe, foot rest from rising in a. ;vertical position while theloop-shaped engagement withthe'projection. o v

2. In: a device such as described, thejconr, bination of a strap-likemember having its end portions lying in the same plane and itsintermediate portion slightly displaced relatively to this" plane, saidintermediate porpart is in tion having a 'slotformed therethrough,a Q

foot rest memberhaving a part extending through said slotandinterlocking with said strap-like, member, and a. projectiohon the Yfront face of said intermediate portion. of

the strap-like member adapted to be received 1n a cooperatingopenmg'formed- 1n-a portion of said footrest member; substantially 7asdescribed. g r

3. In a dev cesuch asdescribed, the com:

bination of a supporting member having I slot extending therethrouglnasecond member extendingsubstantially-at right anglesto said firstmemberand having a T-head extending through said slot and -interlocking withsaid first member,a projectionformedl. upon the outer face ofsa dSUPPOI'lJHIg memher, and an abutment formed on said, second .member,comprising a U-shaped shell-l ke ,member pos tioned to be moved into nclosing engagement with said projection, whereby said second member isheld against movement bodily in any direction by saidprojection andcooperating U-shaped member.

I11 witness whereof,I have hereunto set 1st day of AprihflSlG. I ..PAULM. BENEDICT. I

